The Journal of Mathematics and Science: COLLABORATIVE EXPLORATIONS Volume 15, Spring 2015 PART I: SPECIAL ISSUE The Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA) PART II: REGULAR JOURNAL FEATURES Virginia Mathematics and S{: ience Coalition The Journal of Mathematics and Science: COLLABORATIVE EXPLORATIONS Editor A Ellington Virginia Commonwealth University Associate Editors J Boyd S Khanna St. Christopher's School Virginia Commonwealth University J Cothron J Lewis Virginia Mathematics and Science University of Nebraska-Lio.coin Coalition P McNeil N Davila Norfolk State University University of Puerto Rico R Millman T Dick Georgia Institute of Technology Oregon State University L Pitt D Erchick University of Virginia Ohio State University - Newark D Royster R Farley University of Kentucky Virginia Commonwealth University P N Raychowdhury L Fathe Virginia Commonwealth University Owens Community College S Solomon S Garfunkel Drexel University COMAP D Sterling J Garofalo George Mason University University of Virginia P Sztajn T Goodman North Carolina State University University of Central Missouri B Williams W Haver Williamsburg/James City Schools Virginia Commonwealth University S Wyckoff W Hawkins Arizona State University Mathematical Association ofAmerica R Howard University of Tvisa The Journal of Mathematics and Science: COLLABORATIVE EXPLORATIONS Volume 15, Spring 2015 PART I: SPECIAL ISSUE The Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA) PART II: REGULAR JOURNAL FEATURES Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition The Journal of Mathematics and Science: COLLABORATIVE EXPLORATIONS Volume 15, Spring 2015 PART I: SPECIAL ISSUE The Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA) Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition The Journal of Mathematics and Science: COLLABORATIVE EXPLORATIONS SPECIAL ISSUE The Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA) Coordinating Editor for this Special Issue Donna Sterling George Mason University Funding for this Special Issue was provided by The U.S. Department of Education Investing in Innovation (i3) Program. Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition In Memory of Donna Sterling, Ph.D. This issue of The Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Donna Sterling. A professor of science education at George Mason University, Dr. Sterling was nationally recognized for her work to improve the teaching of science and technology in elementary and secondary schools. She was a pioneer in science education, and her research formed the basis for the Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA), a $28.5 million U.S. Department of Education i3 validation grant-supported program that is among the largest U.S. federal research grants ever awarded with a focus on STEM education. By inspiring teachers to inspire students, Dr. Sterling encouraged countless numbers of young people to unlock the mysteries and wonders of the world through scientific discovery. She tapped into students' curiosity and advocated for approaches that involve teaching that is rooted in problem-based and inquiry-based learning. Her visionary work will impact generations to come. SCIENCE EDUCATION IN VIRGINIA E. RHOADES Virginia Department ofEducation Richmond, VA 23219 [email protected] Introduction The revision and adoption of the Science Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools in 1995 reinforced the Commonwealth's longstanding emphasis on high-quality science programs and student achievement [1]. Virginia is fortunate to have a highly integrated system of standards, regulations, public processes, and rigorous course pathways that is the foundation to educate science-literate graduates. This system has necessarily functioned in concert with a respected tradition of practice within Virginia's science education community and its shared vision for science for all students beginning at the earliest grades. There is much to be proud of in Virginia, but we must understand that challenges remain abundant. Status of Science Program Quality/Performance Indicators Objective measures of inputs and outcomes are required for framing a clear perspective on science education in the Commonwealth-but what are those measures? It is at this point that we consider the quote (often misattributed to Albert Einstein), "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." Data are often difficult to obtain on many important measures, but the following samples can serve as indicators that are objective, can be used in comparisons, and/or were systematically developed. The State Science Standards -The 2013 Thomas B. Fordham Institute report on the Next Generation Science Standardv concluded that Virginia's science standards were superior to the recent national effort [2]. In the Institute's earlier state-by-state review of science standards, Virginia's Science Standards o_f Learning were rated among the very best in the nation with only two states having higher rankings: The Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations Volume 15 (2015) !I - 9 2 E. RHOADES The Old Dominion's science standards are among the few that we would cheerfully recommend as models for other states (and for drafters of "common" standards for this field). They are thorough and rigorous, particularly in the areas of mathematical applications and evolution, and they clearly provide a solid foundation for a rigorous K-12 science curriculum [3]. Science Graduation Requirements and Diplomas Awarded- Virginia's two college- and career­ ready diplomas, the Standard Diploma (SD) and the Advanced Studies Diploma (ASD), require three and four laboratory science credits for graduation, respectively. These credits must be distributed among the biological and physical sciences [4]. In 2013, 47,872 students achieved the ASD, while 35,357 students achieved the SD, indicating that 58% of students earning one of these college- and career-ready diplomas had completed four or more science credits [5]. National data indicate that only two states require four science credits of all students [6]. National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) Performance - The NAEP is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students in the United States know and can do in various subject areas. Assessments arc conducted periodically in mathematics, reading, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography, and U.S. history. The NAEP results serve as a common metric for all states and selected urban districts. The assessment difficulty level stays essentially the same from year to year, with only carefully documented changes. This permits NAEP to provide a clear picture of student academic progress over time. The last NAEP assessment released for grade 4 science (2009), Virginia fourth graders ranked at the top of the national assessment. Virginia achievement exceeded all but two states [7]. SCIENCE EDUCATION IN VIRGINIA 3 Oistriootion of states across indicator values ll CT NC 00 IA l'N fl OE MN OK MO 10 MO AL SC Ml !N OH KY I.A TN OR NJ so MA ND AZ NM AR TX RI PA Vin ME NH I MS CA ~l tN GA WV WA UT WY MT VA 132 135 13$ 141 144 147 150 153 156 159 162 165 {Score oot of 300) Figure 1. The NAEP "Fourth Grade Science Performance"(2009), as reported on the National Science Foundation website. In the most recent NAEP assessment released for grade 8 science (2011 ), Virginia eighth graders ranked among the highest performing states on the national assessment. Achievement exceeded all Southern and Mid-Atlantic states [8]. AR co fL IA K KS NC AK K'f ME UY !JE CT Ml MN MT OK GA JN MO UTj NO AZ RI MO m NE VA NH AL Hl NM SC PA 00 Ott 'M so oc MS CA !.A IN VN TN TX WA W'f VT 1H tH 11! 121) in 12il 1:ffi 132 1J.S 1,1; 141 144 147 150 1$3 156 1S!S 1$2 16S {Sc;ire<l\110000) Figure 2. The NAEP "Eighth Grade Science Performance" (2011), as reported on the National Science Foundation website. International Science Assessment Linking Study: TIMSS and NAEP -- The October 2013 release of a major international linking study, U.S. States in a Global Context, by the National 4 E. RHOADES Center for Education Statistics connected science scores of U.S. students on the 2011 NAEP with results from the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) [9]. The study concluded that Virginia's eighth graders achieved at a statistically higher level in science than students in thirty-seven countries and systems. Students in only four countries-Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan-scored statistically higher. Virginia's average grade 8 science score was only six points below the TIMSS benchmark for high achievement and 69 points above the intermediate achievement benchmark [8]. Advanced Placement Science Courses - The number of Virginia students taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses and tests has increased significantly since 2004, as have their scores on AP science tests. In February 2014, The College Board's AP Report to the Nation announced that Virginia again boasted the nation's third-highest percentage of public high school seniors qualifying for college credit on Advanced Placement (AP) examinations [10]. Only two states had higher percentages of seniors earning qualifying scores. The College Board, in its Virginia Student Achievement Report 2012-2013, showed that the number of Virginia students taking Advanced Placement Tests for AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics B and achieving qualifying scores for college credit exceeded 50% and had noteworthy year-over-year gains [11]. Science* 2004 2010 2011 2012 2013 Total Tests Taken 2,829 14,725 16,809 19,137 20,356 Total Scores 3 or Above 1,849 7,316 8,398 9,662 11,132 *Science includes Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics B, and Physics C. Figure 3. Advanced Placement Tests in Virginia, 2004-2013. State Science Accreditation - Accreditation status is provided by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) based on the Science Standards ofLearning assessments at grades 3, 5, and 8 and at end-of-course in Earth science, biology, and chemistry for high schools.